GMO seed and a Trip To Amish Country

     Last year my husband and I took our very first trip to an Amish area. We went to Berlin, Ohio, and visited Sugar Creek,and other local areas. we stayed in our camper and traveled everywhere on our Honda Gold Wing. We loved the trip. It was time to relax, enjoy the scenery, and each other. We enjoyed the buggies, watching the Amish kids playing in the school yard.  Laundry hanging in the sunshine , their shades of blue waving in the breeze. We visited the local eating places, toured the shops admiring their handwork.
     We just got back from our second trip to the same area on Sunday. It was another wonderful trip, but this time, my eyes were more observant to other things. Things that were slightly depressing. Everywhere we went , we saw miles and miles of  corn fields. i assume this late in the year it was more than likely field corn, but may have been for people to enjoy to. Anyway, this corn was every bit of 10 feet tall. ears packed in closely, as far as the eye could see. The disturbing part came when we saw the occasional small signs along the road in front of the corn fields, bragging about it being from Great Lakes Hybrid, Chemgro, and a few other names that are escaping my memory at the moment. All from GMO seed. Genetically modified! I have read only bad about this stuff. One article I read said scientist modify the seed for different traits. One was kind of like a time bomb in the DNA of the seed so that farmers can not save the seed to use from year to year. The plants produce sterile seed. This is called a "terminator seed". Other seeds  with the chemical Round Up gene.
    Monsanto is the largest producer of these GMO seeds. They have also been the manufacturer of chemicals that have been the most destructive to mankind. Such as Agent Orange. The toxins these seed produce are even found in fetal tissue. SCARY! huh? Read the article found at this link:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/05/has-any-company-ever-harmed-the-planet-more-than-this.aspx
    Do your on research, and be informed. The health of our loved ones are at stake. I was really expecting the Amish would save their own seed from year to year as the old farmers of our past did. I never dreamed they had gotten as commercialized as most of the farmers providing our foods now-a-days. Dont take me wrong. I am not just coming down on the Amish, its just that I expecting them of all people to be different. This eye opener is going to make me work even harder at using only open pollinated seed, and save my own. However, all in all, I still love the area.

Amish Country, Ohio

    Well, we have been here since Thursday. We find this area fascinating. Kind of envy their simple way of life. Often looking at the farms, sometimes with 4-5 homes located together, and this this is the way it should be. Keep your children and grandchildren close. One shouldnt have to wait weeks or months to see a loved one. Amish country abounds with wonderful farms. Everything is spotless and well manicured. Absolutely heavenly country.

I noticed an older child sitting on a riding toy, usually meant for younger children. This made me think about how our children are exposed to much to much,way to young, forced to grow up before they are ready. Older children didnt need their video games, TV,and other ways of the modern life to entertain themselves. They  seem to depict a simpler, more innocent moment in time. The way children should live. No worries, safe and secure, not bothered with crime, drugs and alcohol. Happy & Healthy!

This is such a wonderful shot of the children playing in the yard.

I am absolutely obsessed with the Amish buggies. love everything about them. especially the clip clop of the horses heels on the roads and they made their way briskly along. Sharing the road with the fast paced, modern life racing past them with all their modern day worries. Not appearing to mind as we intrude on their life.

      Yesterday afternoon, while traveling up a back road, we came upon an open buggy with 3 young Amish girls with faces aglow with their beautiful, happy smiles.
        Another thibng, that probably seems a little odd, is that I loved seeing the clothes hanging on the line, waving in the breeze. Their simple garments, hung with care.

The first time we pulled into the local Walmart to get a few groceries, I couldnt believe the sign facing me stating "Hitching post" with an arrow pointing the direction to  a row of open stalls to park the buggies and horses. This struck me as kind of humorous. Almost like I suddenly fell thru a time warp into the old west.

And "Yes", McDonald's has intruded as well. Here is a pic of their "hitching posts": Would you beleive they actually have blinker lights? How cute is that?

While traveling along on a back road today on the motorcycle, we rove to the top of a steep grade and while sitting at the intersection, we waited while this buggy was going by. i loved how it was silouetted against the skyline since we were sitting downhill from it.

We also drove by a fenced in petting range with exotic animals. This slightly blurry shot shows two large elk ( maybe), both white:

Also some albino deer

First thing this morning, we stopped at a local Amish roadside market and bought a bushel of the best looking Golden Delicious apples for $25. 

As you enter the campground we are staying at, there are two gorgeous trees that have turned a bright golden yellow for Fall.  It is not quite peak color, but getting pretty close.

More Fall color:

More sklyine views:

Nothing like a beautiful reminder, that this really is God's country.

Everything closes up earlier around here. So here we are enjoying a wonderfully warm campfire at the trailer:

A cool evening, warm fire, and the comfort of a loving man. What a  wonderfully satisfying way to end the day.

And here is a little video clip with more buggies, and that special "clip clop" sound.

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Vacationing in Amish Country, Ohio

    This is our first time to visit the Amish areas in Ohio. Its just a little 3 day weekend mini vacation. The Ohio settlement is supposed to be the world's largest Amish community. We brought the new Cyclone toyhauler to a campground in Berlin. Its Scenic Hills. A very nice, clean campground with generously sized sites. Its within walking distance to sveral nice shops on main street.
     On the way out of the campground we already had our first sitings of those traditional black Amish horse drawm buggies.

     We visited a large antiques mall, and just ate supper at Boyd & Wurthmann Restaurant.  It started in the 1930's as a grocery store. It still had the wonderful charm of a time past.
     My husband had their chicken dinner, and I had the chicken salad. Both of us had the warm, and fresh homemade bread and butter. we are usually too full after eating a meal to buy dessert. This was the first time since we have been married that we actually made room. Thankfully so. We both ordered the banana cream pie and it was fabulous. I dont care for meringue, and this was topped with whipped cream.
     We also drove past this great old courthouse. i love the stonework.

        More to come. We arent heading home till Sunday.

Clingman's Dome, NC....Where's The oxygen!

        Today we rode the motorcycles to Clingman's Dome, NC. It is about 20 miles from Pigeon forge,Tn. The trail to Clingman's Dome is a very well maintained blacktop trail to the top of the mountain. it is only about 1/2 mile to the peak and observation tower. However it sure feels like much more. The air is thin, and with the exertion of climbing up the side of a mountain, it only takes minutes before you feel it. I am ever so grateful for these placed all along the edge of the path:

And believe me, I think I warmed up almost every one. I think between me and the couple in front of me, we made a pretty good tag team making sure every bench was visited,lol. The peak is 6,643 feet high, and the observation tower adds another 45 feet. It is well worth the trip and effort. Just take your time, make frequent stops if needed. I seen some people on their way back down that had to be in their 70's. Here are some more of the views:

This is the observation tower up ahead.

 This is a peak of the beautiful view from the tower.

More of 2012 Car Show

 I finally got a quick shot of the radio Flyer. Still got my fingers crossed for a better one:

And here some more shots to enjoy:

Pigeon Forge, Shades of the Past

  On this past Monday we made our yearly trip to Pigeon forge, Tn for their car show. My husband loves this. We will be here for 14 days. The first show starts Friday and runs thru Sunday. It is Shades of the Past. Then next Friday thru Sunday we have The Grand Rod Run. below is a little video I put together showing some of the cars we seen. i will add more pics as I get time.

This show depicts the broad range of characters that participate in car shows. Some are the restorers:

And some fall into the imaginative fun seekers, just here to entertain and be a part of the fun:

Some just like to share their little bit of the past, untouched, and allowed to age gracefully. Enjoyed for their true beauty:

Dont we all wish we could be appreciated like that. Unfortunately i missed getting a pic of the HUGE radio flyer wagon driven down the road, full of smiling faces. Hopefully they will still be here next weekend for the Grand Rod Run.